Note: Today’s post comes to us from Deborah van der Linde, a librarian and children’s literature expert! Read on for fun suggestions to read with your kids!
Many parents worry about getting their children reading – reading more, reading better, and reading willingly. Reading can seem daunting to both children and parents, and it is not always clear how to encourage the reluctant or the avid reader.
One of the best – and most fun – ways to accomplish this is through pleasure reading. And I would like to stress the word “pleasure” – it should really be fun for the child. The most important part of this is to get your child reading – anything from comics to non-fiction books, or blogs to fantasy novels.
As long as they are reading something that interests them it will boost their willingness to come back to it. The more kids read, the better they will become at it, and the more they will want to read. Children will also be more willing to read if they have positive associations with reading – if it becomes a pleasurable thing to do.
There are all sorts of books out there that not only will the parents appreciate for the educational value, but the kids will love, too. Not every kid loves fiction, some like to keep it real!
Here are five fun non-fiction books to get them started:
Made by Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff
by Scott Bedford
This book is great for encouraging future engineers, but remember, it’s not just for Dads! It’s full of great projects for children to do with any adult in their life.
National Geographic Kids Space Encyclopedia: A Tour of Our Solar System and Beyond
Written and Illustrated by David A. Aguilar
This is a wonderful introduction to outer space, full of beautiful pictures, simple diagrams, and fun information. For younger kids, check out Little Kids First Big Book of Space, by Catherine D. Hughes, and illustrated by David A. Aguilar.
Mummies Made in Egypt
Written and Illustrated by Aliki
An older book, but still fascinating. It is all about how Egyptian mummies were made, the way they were buried, and their secret tombs. Children will learn a lot about the ancient Egyptians through this book. It is best suited to the early elementary crowd.
See Inside the World of Dinosaurs: An Usborne Flap Book
by Alex Frith and Peter Scott
This book has kept my children occupied and entertained for hours. This lift-the-flap book has great illustrations and tons of great facts about dinosaurs.
Atlas of Cursed Places: A Travel Guide to Dangerous and Frightful Destinations
by Olivier Le Carrer
Technically not for children, this book will still entertain young and old alike. The book will introduce you to strange and mysterious places all around the world – have a world map handy, and then you and your young reader can then find these locations on the map. With a little help from an adult, this book will teach kids about both history and geography.
Happy Reading!
Deborah is a librarian, mother of two and military wife. She has a masters of Library and Information Sciences, and is completing a Masters of Education. She has been working with libraries and literacy initiatives for the last decade, and is now establishing the blog, Poppies and Prose, which offers book reviews for adults and children, aimed, though not exclusively, at the Canadian military community. She currently lives in Quebec City and manages the historic Morrin Centre Library.
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